The standstill tension had Prescott staring out into the void of space from the Captain's chair aboard the Spirit of Freedom. Despite the vast attempts, albeit long-distance, the Primark had chosen to place the Terra-Primary Auto-Plutocracy in direct odds against the Fraction Coalition of Interstellar Voyagers.
Prescott racked the many attempts, the millions of out requests for their intervention, and Earth's treatment of the various explorer groups, albeit the same. Firstly, Prescott was one of seven different crews sent on missions that led them to the vicinity of the Milky Way black hole. Once there, Prescott and his "Scotts" were the only crew in history to accelerate into the black hole and survive a high-g planetary crash landing.
However, in their absence, Earth unified under a single world government. They conquered their moon, asteroid belt, and two neighboring planets. As Earth was already a fully functional habitat for humanity, the Primark made it "open season" by opening space to the public. However, as they expanded and the Primark retained her power, small factions began popping up calling for things to change. The Asteroid Belt Colonies were initially mining colonies but as the rising need for "more room", was seen by the Belt Colonials as "more room for plutocrats", the more those undesired within the Primark's version of government, Earth, and her growing interplanetary empire, began showing up at the colonies.
However, just before things got too unjust for the colonists, Prescott, his crew, and their now heavily modified version of their Battleship-Class Starship made their triumphant return to the Sol-System. However, rather than wish to integrate the literal other end of the known universe into the Sol-System Auto-Plutocracy, Prescott wanted nothing more than an alliance. The Primark responded by condemning Prescott as a traitor to humanity as a whole. This decision was vastly unpopular with the Martians, who were Earth's off-planet military, and the Belt Colonials, who supplied Earth with rich, and plentiful precious metals.
Needless to say, Mars and the Asteroid Belt effectively went on strike and threatened all-out rebellion. Terra-Primary's response was brutal, especially on Mars.
"Arville! Quickly! Come look!" Shouted a voice in the former Martian general's home. Arville shuffled across the house and up the steps to see what all the commotion was. The former General found his elderly wife at the door, with a group of current Martian enlisted soldiers standing out front. However, as he shuffled outside, his glasses became filled with pink and blue hues of Mocci Prime. He stared up at the Martian sky with awe and wonder filling his heart. As he looked down, the soldiers formed a pathway leading to his wife and...
"Good to finally see you in person, General Arville." Said Cresscott, one of Prescott's Scotts. The old general's eyes lit up as he hugged the young man. "You lot actually came!"
Cresscott nodded. "That we did. Now, if you and your wife wanted, Prescott asked me to shuttle you to Mocci Prime... he's offering you citizenship." The old man was brought to tears as the soldiers retrieved the few belongings he and his wife had and loaded them on the shuttle. Meanwhile...
The first few waves of shuttles from the Belt Colonies began downloading passengers on Mocci Prime. It was there that Jesscott was leading the in-processing effort. "STEP OFF AND MOVE TO THE PAINTED "X" ZONES!" Commanded Jesscott with professional military decorum and volume. As Belt Colonials made their way to the painted zones, it would be here they had a few things to do. Firstly, was to get accustomed to Eridanus, another alien within the same species as Tyitainnous, and his equally frightening brother, Meridian. While Eridanus focused on peacekeeping, it was Meridian who cataloged names, birth dates, ages, and spoken/written languages. Once he finished, they were allowed to intermingle amongst themselves.
Back on FCSS Spirit of Freedom...
"Ensign, report." Ordered Prescott to one Ensign Ada Delta. She was one of the "former enemy, now ally" people who'd enlisted to serve with the Coalition's fleet and was quite good at her post. "Sir, as of now Terra-Primary is amassing light cruisers, but other than people with telescopes and Cap-Corders ogling Mocci Prime, everything is silent, sir." Prescott had watched her give her report. She didn't take her eyes off the many instrument panels and monitors at her station. She just gave him exactly what she was seeing.
Prescott nods, racking options in his head, but everyone aboard knew one thing was bothering him. The day had gone as he'd expected and prepared them for, but a small piece of their leader wished he could've returned to see the green grass and blue skies he'd grown up knowing...
Suddenly Ensign Delta hopped up and snapped Prescott back into reality. "SIR! I'm tracking eight... twelve Venusian heavy destroyers on a direct intercept course with the shuttles." With a push of a button, Prescott was broadcasting fleetwide. "All Coalition spacecraft, we have incoming towards the shuttle route. Monterey, I need you to take point. Bring the Pacific Cruiser and five other ships to cut them off. Michigan, you and your cruiser are paramount in holding that route open. Also, don't fire unless fired upon. Spirit of Freedom out.
As Monterey's "blitz" squadron along with their five reinforcing ships moved into position, Prescott turned to his Lieutenant. "Thomas, I need to get Jesscott and Sesscott on a private channel and find out what the hell is holding up the shuttles. Relay this message to them, "We can't do this forever, too much risk the longer we stay. ETA?" Lieutenant Thomas nodded and left the bridge entering Prescott's office for security. However, Prescott spun his chair front again. "Give me control helmsman."
"Aye, sir, you have the ship." With that, Prescott brought the Battleship around and got them within landing distance of the Belt Colony Docks.
"This is Captain Prescott Philip of the FCSS Spirit of Freedom broadcasting to all Belt Colonial frequencies. Terra-Primary is gearing up, and we need to go. Leave unnecessary belongings as they can be replaced. Photos, family members, and pets should be the only things in your hands..."
Ensign Delta cut off the broadcast as the Terran Primary Flagship, Pangea Superiority, along with a baker's dozen of Light-Class Dreadnought Frigates were on an intercept course with the Spirit of Freedom. "All hands! Black-Comms and Red Alert. Take up your battle stations, this is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill." With the ship at red alert, Prescott snapped his chair to see Ensign Delta. "Ensign, convert your surveillance station to Ordinance/Targeting Controls. Lock targets and do not unveil our weapons until my mark."